Farr Rising Gamay 2023

Soft, gamey, spice, a density that holds in the mid palate until the acidity takes you to a deceptive and vibrant finish.

The warmth and calm sun exposure towards the end of the 2023 vintage is highlighted in each of the wines that will be released from the 2023 vintage. This is the tenth release of Farr Rising Gamay, and if ever asked about his approach to sites on the property, Nick will always say that it takes him 10 years to truly understand the variety that is planted on each soil type, and for the vines to truly express themselves through vines to truly express themselves through vine age and root depth. Either that or he is simply a very slow learner! It is 10 years of not only understanding the site viticulturally, but the capabilities of the fruit and wine making process in the winery. There is not much Nick hasn't tried statistically and operationally, but for those that have been drinking previous vintages, the evolution has led to this wine.

The gamay was grafted onto own rooted cabernet vines, which were planted in 1999. The soil is black cracking clay soil, with a mixture of submerged volcanic pebbles and boulders at one end, and a more friable and slightly more vigorous chocolate-coloured soil at the other. The first fruit was picked during the 2014 vintage.

The grapes are hand-picked and sorted in the vineyard, then placed in the tank as whole bunches. The tank is sealed and left for 10 days to ferment naturally and release carbonic fruit aromas. The fruit is foot stomped, pressed on days 11 and 12, and then placed in five-year-old barrels to finish the fermentation process. The wine is bottled eight months later.

The nose of the gamay, so far, is fruitful at first before opening up to reveal berry flavours with earthy and gamey notes. The palate is full of red berry fruits with savoury undertones. The structure is long, earthy and lingering. With vibrant acidy and defined tannins, this wine is full of flavour.